The Covenant
by Stupidmuse hatesme
Summary: In a land where the use of a wand is forbidden and Lord Voldemort rules all an orphan somehow garners the Lord’s attention....and not in a good way.
1. Chapter 1

AUTHORS NOTE: Just for kicks, I'm going to be keeping the chapters at about 1000 words each. Emphasis on about. And yes, I am borrowing this idea from the well known story The Apprentice and the Necromancer. Never fear, though, that will not mean this story will be short! I plan on having _many_ chapters. My readers (such as they are) will be sick and tired of this story by the time it is done :) I do not currently have internet in my new apartment, and school starts on Monday, so at first I might be a little sporadic. But I hope to post a chapter (or two) every 2 days. And yes, this is a WIP. So if those are not your thin...TURN BACK NOW!

Oh, and this _will_ be slash in the future :)

Minor grammatical editing by John :D

* * *

Title: The Covenent

Genre: Romance/Adventure

Warnings: None, so far. Violence, maybe? 0.o

Rating: PG 13 (just to be safe)

Pairings: HP/?? SB/RL

Summary: In a land where the use of a wand is forbidden and Lord Voldemort rules all an orphan somehow garners the Lord's attention....and not in a good way.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, and yes I have unceremoniously...borrowed a few ideas from Sherwood Smith's Crown/Court Duel. I will not simply rewrite that story with Harry in it, so no fear!

Prologue

_I don't imagine that anyone will ever read my accounts, but my friends have urged me to write my story anyways. Hello, you can't possibly be one of my descendants, so I'll settle for an exotic foreigner in a far off land._

_This story has much to do with Lord Voldemort, the Covenant, and the Code of War. Since you might live so far in the future you do not know of any of these, I will endeavor to explain:_

_Long ago 4 friends discovered the country of Hogwarts. It is a goodly sized country. These four friends were named Hufflepuff, Slytherin, Ravenclaw, and Griffindor. They became the four Royal houses of Hogwarts. For centuries they have ruled the realm together, a King or Queen from each house a leader of the Court. _

_There are many other smaller noble families, of course_, _such as my own, the Potters._

_But at the beginning of this story I did not know that, so moving on._

_Lord Voldemort murdered the two Queens one hundred years ago, and from what I understand the King of Griffindor (an elderly man) fled to another country and died there in peace._

_Lord Voldemort was illegitimate, hence his airs with changing his name. His mother was a direct descendant of Slytherin, one of the last, and his father was common: a commoner who scorned Voldemort's mother when he realized she was of the House of the Snakes._

_Many years before Lord Voldemort there was an uprising between our people and the magical beings who live here at in the country of Four. When we reached a standstill we created the Covenant. The Covenant states that we humans will not burn or cut down their wood, and that they will provide us with Fire Sticks to keep us warm during the winter. _

_Fire Sticks are about as close to magic most of us get, nowadays. They are activated with what we call Words of Power, even though they aren't even a proper spell. _

_To keep with the Covenant only fallen branches are gathered, and any wooden furniture still in existence is treasured and very very old._

_When Voldemort took over, he was angry. Angry that his father was a prick, angry that his mother was too weak to properly give birth to him and that he had to grow up in an orphanage. Angry that only representatives of the House of Slytherin were ruling Court. _

_A richer, and more infamous family by the name of Malfoy was doing what Voldemort thought was rightly his. So he murdered the two Queens, the Griffindor King fled, and the Malfoy stepped down. Today, a descendant by the name of Lucius Malfoy is a trusted adviser and Deputy for the King._

_One last thing: Lord Voldemort fears his people. He knows how strong they could be given the chance. The Code of War was already in effect, and had been for years; No weapons were to be used that you could not use or throw by hand. Bows and arrows were from another land, and unfair to our people which is why the Code was created. Lord Voldemort warped that idea and declared that wands were in breach of that, so he took the right of magic away from his people._

_When my story began the one hundreth anniversary of Lord Voldemort's reign was nigh, and there was relative peace. I say relative, because peace never sticks around for long...._

_

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_

Chapter one

As the wind blusters outside I struggle to close the shutters on the windows in the hallways. The Dursley's might be well off, but they see no need to extend their moneys into buying windows panes for the halls. Besides, they probably believe that without leaves constantly blowing in I would be deprived of a job.

Shrieking echoes down the hall so I abandon my thankless task and skitter across the well trodden boards.

"Boy! Were you in my things? Why are my things all over the place?!"

I pause, huffing, behind the tapestry to Petunia Dursley's room and tap of the door frame to announce my presence.

"Yes Ma'am?"

"Pick up my things at once!" She screeches. "You know I do not abide my untidiness!"

I glance around the room and quickly find who is at fault: Dudley's rat of a dog cowers beneath her bed, beady brown eyes pleading with me. Nasty thing that it is, I almost believe it for a moment.

I snag it by the scruff and carry it out the door. "Yes Ma'am, one moment please."

I deposit the mangy thing outside the door and quickly clean up her scattered makup, perfume, and other oddities of the female race. I restrain myself from caressing her fine bone comb, and place everything as it should be on her priceless vanity.

The Dursley's live farther down the mountains from the forests where the magical beings live, so wood is a lot more common. Or, less rare as it should be said. People are less afraid of breaking the Covenant in forests where the beings do not even live. The magical creatures, on the other hand, do not apply. They are everywhere, for, no matter how Lord Voldemort wishes to suppress it, this is a magical land. It always will be.

The Dursley's are my relatives, supposedly. Petunia is my mother's sister. I find that hard to believe considering how they treat me on a regular basis. I think that an actual servant has a better life than I do.

"Dudley! Get that damned dog out from under my feet!" Vernon's roar echoes through the house and I am already hurrying in his direction to delay trouble.

"But Dad! Make the Boy do it!"

"Boy!"

I skitter into the room and snatch the dog up without a word, hurrying to deposit him outside. I take one look at the wind and decide that the barn is a better idea. My thin clothing provides poor, if any, protection from the gusts as I hunch over the little whimpering dog in my arms to protect him from the wind. I hurry, barefoot, across the courtyard and quickly enter the barn. Once the doors are closed I sigh in relief.

The dark gloom is a welcome change from the windstorm outside, and soft Whickers from the two horses greet me. It is a small barn. It is obscenely hard to build theme, after all, since they must be from stone to abide by the Covenant. But it's a perfect escape from the wind. I can hardly hear it as there are no windows. Precious wood carved from great fallen trees serve as stall and barn doors and they are heavy enough that they don't even rattle with the wind.

I think I have found my resting place for the night.

I brush dog fur off of my old threadbare tunic and scamper back to the house. I quickly finish shutting the rest of the windows, put a pot of stew on to cook while I sweep the leaves out of the halls, and flee as soon as the Dursley's have their dinner set at the table.

Pssh. Aunt and Uncle my foot.

I curl up in a pile of hay with the snoring dog next to an obliging horse who lays next to the both of us. The beasts warmth is welcome and I thank the gelding softly. His snuffling breath in my hair and the distant howling outside lull me into a deep and content sleep and I can almost pretend that life is all right.

* * *

EDIT: It now reads that the land Harry lives in is the country of Four. I apologize. Hogwarts is the castle at the capitol, terribly sorry.


	2. Chapter 2

AUTHORS NOTE: Yes, This chapter is early.

Don't get used to it.

Edited by John.

* * *

Title: The Covenant

Genre: Romance/Adventure

Warnings: None, so far. Violence, maybe? 0.o

Rating: PG 13 (just to be safe)

Pairings: HP/?? SB/RL

Summary: In a land where the use of a wand is forbidden and Lord Voldemort rules all an orphan somehow garners the Lord's attention....and not in a good way.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, and yes I have unceremoniously...borrowed a few ideas from Sherwood Smith's Crown/Court Duel. I will not simply rewrite that story with Harry in it, so no fear!

Chapter two

I wake slowly to the musky smell of horse and hay tickling my nose. I know it's dawn because I wake at that time every morning. I shift Dudley's dog off of my chest, like he has anything to do with the poor thing, and extricate myself from my warm nest.

The horses snuffle at me softly as I leave the barn, and I smile.

The courtyard is gray, with the soft light of pre-dawn. The air is practically still, compared to the previous day. The cold ground makes my bare feet ache, and makes me worry that winter will be coming early this year. It is only September.

Dirt itches between my toes as I pause to pick straw and hay off of my clothing, such as it is.

I stub my toe on the stone step stepping into the kitchen and hop about, cursing under my breath.

"Stupid bloody stair should watch what you're doing, blast it!"

The dead fire makes the fireplace seem a dark pit in the wall and I curse again.

"It's not that hard to bank a fire, you great lumps."

I soon have a merry fire crackling under a pot of porridge and another pot of water for tea. I clean the table from the Dursleys` dinner and eat the crumbs of their bread. I wish I had more, my stomach seems more of a pit than the fireplace did.

I sweep the kitchen, then move off the clean elsewhere. The household is still unmoving. Not surprising. The only people living here are Petunia, Vernon, and my cousin Dudley. I am the only...servant. They, my relatives, are prosperous merchants (even under Lord Voldemort's reign), and own a nice house and nice things: but they never spend money on other people. Which means I am the only servant they have, and ever will. And pox on anyone who suggests that I might need food, or proper clothes at least.

To them I am not worth it.

_I've never known any family but the Dursleys. _I think to myself as I lean on a window sill and peak out at the rising sun. _They've had me since I was a baby, yet they definitely do not treat me as the family I refer to them as._

According to Aunt Petunia, my mother and father went horse riding, drunk, and made their horse jump something too high for them. Their bodies, and those of their wounded horses, were found in the forest. I had been left with a family friend, who brought me to the Durselys` before fleeing from Voldemort's reign.

_I wonder who the man who dumped me here, was? I'm not sure I'd ever be able to like him. Anyone would resent a person for dumping them HERE._

When the floorboards start to creak from the combined weight of the Dursley men I go to the kitchen and set out their breakfast. I snag two silver coins from the pot on the mantle, and then tread to market.

It's a nice morning, so far. A little chilly, but the skies are clear. There are a few merchants heading away from town as I wind my way deeper into the village. They lead horses with wares carefully packed on them, or goats that they just bought in town. A few greet me.

"Good morning Harry!"

I smile, and nod. I ask normal things like how's the wife, and how are prices at market, and where are you headed and they smile and nod back and soon head on their way.

Most people are friendly to me around here, but they are well aware of my status, or lack of one.

I am 13 years old and lower than even the lowest street rat. At least strangers give them coin and they get a proper meal occasionally. They even have the option of digging in the trash; A luxury I have not.

Basket on my arm I pick up vegetables for today's meal. I ponder at the meat market and end up buying a poultry breast, for the price is good. I can bake that with celery and carrots and make an apple sauce to pour on top. In response to that idea I buy a half dozen apples from a booth and meander on my way. That will do for dinner, now lunch...I ponder.

I decide upon slicing up some of our cured ham to put in melted cheese sandwiches and walk back home.

The day is in full swing, sellers are hawking their wares, villagers are arguing the prices, and strangers are weaving through the town. The sun is shining, and the ground is starting to warm a bit. I smile, and enjoy it. Until someone trods on my toes.

"Yowch!" I yelp.

"I'm sorry, young man." A humorous voice apologizes as I hop backwards, cursing and trying not to dump my precious cargo.

His hand grabs my elbow to brace me and I unwillingly glance up into his cheerful blue eyes.

"Hello," He smiles and his whole face lights up, surrounded by long black hair. "What is your name?"

My emerald green eyes blink owlishly and I chirp back automatically. "Harry, nice to meet you Sir."

He laughs delightedly. "Well Harry, my dear boy! What are you up to?"

He steps next to me and subtly encourages me on my way. Which is how I find myself with a companion to chatter with on my way back to the Dursleys`, which I will never call home.

It is my turn to watch him blink owlishly as he stares at the Dursleys` house and then back at me.

"Are you all right, Sir?"

He breaks out in a large grin. "Well, you just saved me a lot of trouble Harry!" He extends a hand for me to shake, and shakes mine quite enthusiastically. "Nice to meet you, I am your godfather Sirius Black."

I blink, and take a step back.

"My you look like James. But those are definitely Lily's eyes."

"I'm sorry, Sir...What did you say?" I hold the basket protectively in front of me, eying the crazy man skeptically.

"BOY! What are you doing loitering in the street?"

I glance up to see a red-faced Uncle Vernon leading the horses out of the barn.

"Quit bothering passerby and hurry over here and load my horses up with the wares!"

Without a thought I move to do as Uncle Vernon said, but the strange man grabs my elbow again.

He snarls "I don't think so, you fat pig. I'm here to collect my godson, so bugger off."

I boggle at the two men as Vernon's face grows more and more purple, while the blue-eyed man...Sirius' grows even more friendly.

"Y-y-you!"

"Yes, me." Sirius smiles.

"You, felon!"

"Just because I was stripped of my title, does not make me a felon. Besides, you well know that I inherited the Potter castle from James."

"That dump?" Vernon bellows. "Ha! It probably has ten years worth of leaves in it!" He extends a finger. "You were to be back for the Boy years ago. How dare you show your face now!"

Sirius smiles, mildly. "Harry, go retrieve your things."

"I'm sorry, but what is going on here?" I demand.

"Boy! You get your arse over here now!"

The man turns me and grips my shoulders firmly. "Harry, I am your Godfather. Your parents left their home and you to me. I had to go away and left you here to be safe. Will you come with me now?"

Without hesitation I nod, dropping the food into the dirt.

"Good." He nods with a determined look on his face. "Do you even _have _any things?"

I shake my head wordlessly and he turns to Vernon again. "Saddle your bloody horses yourself, Vernon. Goodbye, and good riddance."

And so I found myself leaving the only home I could ever claim to have known: And I didn't care one whit.

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EDIT: Minor spelling issues corrected here. Moving on!


	3. Chapter 3

AUTHORS NOTE:

So I gave up the 1,000 word idea. My wonderful beta Darkness Approaches hit me upside the head, and told me to write more. So I am :) I can't promise that the chapters will be SUPER long....But they will be longer than 1,000 words!

* * *

Title: The Covenant

Genre: Romance/Adventure

Warnings: None, so far. Violence, maybe? 0.o THIS WILL BE SLASH! But nothing explicit :) Oh, and definitely NOT HP/LV mkay?

Rating: PG 13 (just to be safe)

Pairings: HP/?? SB/RL

Summary: In a land where the use of a wand is forbidden and Lord Voldemort rules all an orphan somehow garners the Lord's attention....and not in a good way.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, and yes I have unceremoniously...borrowed a few ideas from Sherwood Smith's Crown/Court Duel. I will not simply rewrite that story with Harry in it, so no fear!

Our first stop is at a stable in town to find some horses. The stranger—no, Sirius—chatters away the whole walk through town. The best stable to get a horse is on the northern outskirts of this middling size town. Sirius smiles and says that's good because we are heading north anyways.

He dazzles me with his tales. Tales of he and James—my father—running through the hills barefoot as young boys, tales of my beautiful mother and how hard father worked to win her hand, grandiose tales of my mum's extensive library, and long monologues about what my lands are like.

Technically they are Sirius', though, and I am simply the heir. He explains that there is a village at the foot of Potter castle called Hogsmeade. Not too large, not too small. It made my parents happy, and they ruled their lands fair and justly.

"My mother was the Countess Black. Our lands butted right up against the Potters. Both of our families were pure and old. I had a younger brother, and I think mum would've preferred _him _being the heir instead of myself. James had no siblings, and his parents were a lot older than mine. They had James very late in life."

I listen intently.

"He and I were sent to court after being cooped up on our lands for the first bit of our lives. Of course, we had been to court with our families and knew our cousins there." His smile was not too pleasant. "But at a certain age a young noble is sent to court to party, and learn about the kingdom. My younger brother was jealous of me in the worst way: He did not understand why he could not go with me." As we walk along he has a contemplative look on his face. "I imagine that might be why he joined Lord Voldemort later on when he started to come into power. To please mum and her memory, and to show me up."

"What happened to him?"

"He died," he says shortly. "But James and I were not the only younglings at court. Lucius Malfoy was a few years older than us and had been there for quite some time already."

"What does he look like?"

His face acquires a look of remembrance. "He had great poise, and great confidence. He kept his silvery blond hair shoulder length back then to symbolize that he was the heir to the Malfoy fortune. The Malfoys are so pure, though, that he was their _only _child. _(Italics instead of caps?)_ He was beautiful, but in a dangerous way." Sirius smiles, and it seems wistful and painful. "He still is, you know. Beautiful. His hair is much longer, and his face is more…cruel. But he is still beautiful. I hear that his son, your age in fact, has his shining hair and white porcelain skin. Not a surprise though. The brat's mum is my cousin."

"Cousin?"

He nods. "I had two cousins. Sisters. Bellatrix Black," I gasp. "And Narcissa Black. She was always fine, sharply intelligent, and had streaming blond hair. Bellatrix has always been her opposite in every possible way."

"Do you mean Bellatrix Lestrange? You're related to her?"

He nods unhappily. "Unfortunately, yes."

"Tell me more about you," I demand.

A frown overcomes Sirius' face, though, when he goes into greater detail about his absence in my life.

"I was arrested several years ago, Harry. Your parents had me doing work for them in the capitol and when they got into their accident…they blamed me. The Royals I mean. Arabella Fig, our spy, just recently found a way to get me out of Lucius Malfoy's dungeon, so I returned straight away." His arm slips around my shoulder to pull me close. "Arabella tells me that Minerva McGonagall has been handling the land and the people since I got arrested."

"How long has that been?" _Who is this Minerva lady?_

"Since your parents died, Harry." He pulls his arm away and strides into the stables to search out the proprietor. "Twelve years, give or take."

I stand in the gloomy doorway as he haggles with the businessman, Tom. I worry at their bickering until they finish with smiles, laughter, and claps on the back.

"Come, Harry! Good old Tom has offered us a drink in his tavern."

The "tavern" is dusty, musty, and the only light filters through grimy old windows in streaks and splashes. Sirius sits at the bar chatting with Tom while I stand to the side feeling like a third wheel and sipping some wonderful mead. Well, wonderful because I've never had it before. I smack my lips mournfully as I reach the bottom of the tankard and look up to the eyes I can feel watching me.

"Ready to go, Harry?"

I nod silently and he swirls around and strides out of the dusty old tavern. I am jealous of his poise as I trot hurriedly to catch up and snort in derision as I imagine myself walking the same way he does.

"Wait, a castle?!"

I round the corner of the building just in time to see Sirius vault over a horse and gather up the reigns from a stable boy. Tom scurries around me and approaches Sirius to have a hurried conversation as I stand at a loss next to the boy and the remaining horse.

Sirius' face is hard as Tom leaves and he gazes at me.

"No time right now, Harry. Get on the horse."

I feel my age when I can't get my foot high enough to put it in the stirrup, so I slither up and over the saddle instead. The stable boy is fighting to withhold a grin at my problems so I smile back a little self-deprecatingly.

"The reigns, please?"

I clutch them nervously as he adjusts the stirrups and wonder how in the world I am going to manage. But I'll be damned if I tell Sirius I've never been on a horse before!

"Let's go!" Sirius kicks his horse into motion and mine wheels about to follow. As we clatter out of the courtyard I bounce, uncomfortable on the (thankfully) padded saddle and clutch the reigns desperately in my fists as I grip the pommel.

Cheery laughter from Sirius only gives me a moments warning because we speed up to gallop out of the village.

This is going to be a bumpy ride.

When we reach the forest we slow to a walk. My bum hurts and I stand in the stirrups a little to relieve it. This earns another cocky smile from Sirius.

"Never been on a horse before, eh Harry?"

I shake my head, blushing wildly at his raucous laughter.

"You're going to be feeling this for a while then, I expect!"

Sirius is a loud and boisterous sort, I muse to myself as I tune out his wild ramblings. But his chatter seems strained every time someone comes by. I notice it the most when a helmed messenger pounds by on a stallion and Sirius' smile seems stressed and his voice over loud. I'm about to ask what is going on when the pounding hooves of many horses sounds up the trail.

Sirius' white face turns to me. "Get off the road!" he hisses.

We both jerk our horses into the thick woods and dismount as quickly as possible, trying not to pant. We move carefully away from the road down a hill to give us more cover.

It feels like we stand there, frightened, forever as many, many horses gallop by.

"A whole riding," he murmurs in shock.

I'm too frightened to ask him what he means.

"Harry?" His pale and strained face gazes at me with haunted eyes. "I'm afraid we are going to have to ride hard to the mountains. Tom had news that there were people after me. Are you up to it?"

I nod bravely. "I'm game."

He swings up onto his horse with a determined face. "We'll have to skirt villages, which means not being able to change horses or stay at inns. It will be hard riding."

I pull myself up my horse's saddle and seat myself heavily, gripping the reigns with white knuckles.

He observes me quietly, and steers us back to the wide dirt road. Our horses stumble out of the brush onto the hard packed ground and pause. "Ready?"

I kick my horse in reply and we fly down the road.

To what end? I have no idea.


	4. Chapter 4

AUTHORS NOTE:

So the every two or three days thing is a pretty rough guestimate....:) Mostly because my wonderful beta Darkness Approaches and i need time to confer over the blasted things....Expect the next chapter sometime between now and Tuesday, yeah?

* * *

**Title: The Covenant**

**Genre: Romance/Adventure**

**Warnings: None, so far. Violence, maybe? 0.o THIS WILL BE SLASH! But nothing explicit :) Oh, and definitely NOT HP/LV mkay?**

**Rating: PG 13 (just to be safe)**

**Pairings: HP/?? SB/RL**

**Summary: In a land where the use of a wand is forbidden and Lord Voldemort rules all an orphan somehow garners the Lord's attention....and not in a good way.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, and yes I have unceremoniously...borrowed a few ideas from Sherwood Smith's Crown/Court Duel. I will not simply rewrite that story with Harry in it, so no fear!**

By dusk the horses are plodding at a walk with foam sticking to their tack and necks. We walk beside the poor beasts, stumbling with exhaustion, leading them by the reigns.

The dimming like plays tricks with my eyes. The grey ambiance of the forest causes branches to loom out like dark specters to snatch me off the path. I become more and more nervous as we walk, so when a squirrel bursts from a bush to dash in front of us I yell and skitter to the side.

Luckily my horse is too exhausted to spook, but my exclamation does serve to wake Sirius from a light doze.

He squints at my frightened face and sighs. "You've never been out of town after dark, have you?"

I shake my head. "I've never been out of the town's walls at all."

My pride protests admitting this, but I ignore his pitying glance as we move off the path.

"Are we going to eat soon?"

He has the grace to look shameful. "I'm sorry, Harry! Yes, I have some supplies in the saddle bags we can break into for dinner." He grins wryly. "Nothing fancy, though!"

We walk carefully through the brush, talking quietly. "Not many travel this road at night," he comments. "But all the same I'm afraid that we cannot light a fire."

I nod in acceptance, but he seems too distracted to notice so I make a sound of assent.

We hobble the horses in a patch of grass near a stream and huddle under a thick bush with some dried meat and soft flaky bread from the packs. I'm glad for the soft spongy moss underneath us, and say so.

His broad smile lights up the darkness. "You will be hurting for days from riding, you know."

I can only groan in response, and soon nod off next to him.

I wake to wetness on my ears and nose and rub at each irritably. Rain falls heavily on our bush, but still Sirius sits awake above me. I look up, trying to figure out why he's awake. "Wha…?"

He glances at me, then continues to gaze out at the wet darkness. "Go to sleep, Harry. I'll watch over you."

I snuggle closet to his crossed legs and settle with a sigh as he covers my damp self with his cloak.

"I'm here, Harry. We'll be moving in a few hours."

Without my permission my eyes drift shut as Sirius murmurs again.

"Go to sleep, Harry."

When I wake again it is still raining and Sirius is still awake. Without a word we crawl out from under the bush into the sticky drizzle of rain.

Sirius drapes his cloak over my shoulders.

"Use it like a tent on your horse."

We drag the tack out from under the bushes we stashed them under and saddle the fidgety horses. This I _know_ how to do.

When my gelding tries to shy away I lay a hand on his shuddering flank and murmur to him quietly.

"It's all right, boy. You're good boy. I'll learn to ride eventually, with your help, won't I?" I rub him, soothing his temperament, as I check all of my gear. "All right, Sirius."

This time he gives me a boost up, but I still wince when my legs spread over the horse's broad back.

He grins at my discomfort and flits to his horse. "How're the muscles?"

"Screaming," I grit out.

I receive no reply.

Despite the rain we flee (for that's what we're doing) at a brisk pace.

Through the rain a sickly grey light reflects on the dripping trees. "Is it dawn, yet?"

Sirius shakes his dripping mane and I huddle deeper under his cloak in sympathy.

"Almost. Although I doubt we'll have a real sunrise with this weather."

We trot through the gloom and only pass by one lonely sheep herder all day. We pass the dreary day in silence and stop early for the night.

As we hunker down under another bush for the night Sirius speaks.

"We are near the end of this forest. We will be too exposed in the farm lands to cross during the day. If we push hard we should reach the next forest grove by morning."

I nod wearily and fall asleep immediately to the pitter patter sound of rain.

When I wake I end up peeling gross leaves off of my cheek.

"Time to go, Harry," Sirius whispers huskily.

We lead the horses back to the trail and trot bouncily out of the forest. We skirt around farmsteads and barns nervously avoiding all of the lit homes. The waxing moon hits us better than it did in the forest, so it's fast going.

Sirius seems to doze in his saddle so I keep in mind the directions he murmured to me before he helped me mount.

"_See the moon, Harry?" We both turn to the right. "It's only now rising in the East. We need to ride to the Northeast to reach the forest that lies on the edge of the Duchy of Crabbe and Goyle. Watch the moon. As we go we will go from heading at an angle towards the moon, to the exact opposite as it sets. Always pay attention to the moon, Harry."_

I am disappointed by the continuance of the dreary weather. As a direct result I can see the moon, but not the stars. The town I lived in my whole life, Merchant's Town, was large enough that the sky was too well lit at night to see the stars.

I've never seen a star before.

My horse's trot starts to drag so I slow both of the horses to a walk. As I lead us on dirt roads around the fields, trees on the far side come into sight.

When they are not so far off I hiss to my companion. "Sirius!"

He sits up with a jolt and looks to me.

"Hist!"(1) I jerk my head towards the trees.

He looks forward at the looming forest and then back to me with a grin. "Bravo, Harry! You've led us true!"

We gallop for the trees where the darkness is oppressive but the rain is thin. We slow to a jangling fast walk as large drops of rain patter down on our heads.

"There's a small path ahead," he whispers loudly. "It runs around the edge of the Duke's land and comes out of the trees near the Black River at the foot of the Hills."

The name of the home of the mystical creatures I had heard the street urchins whisper about makes me shiver in excitement.

"We're going to the Hills?" I whisper back eagerly.

"Damn right!" He flicks his reigns to steer us to the left. "That's where your family home is, boy."

A couple hours before dawn we settle down to sleep again.

"The farther north we get the less likely we'll be to meet anyone." We huddle under the damp cloak together, munching on damp biscuits and dried eat. "The main road through the Duke's land is to our East, through the center of the Duchy. Only bandits roam these parts."

He grins cruelly. "Very poor bandits, in both senses of the word."

Mid-morning we rise and move again. I note a difference between this forest and the last, and comment.

"Why are these trees different, Sirius?"

We plod along the misty trail whilst he thinks.

"You really are a city boy, eh?"

I blush and duck my head, embarrassed.

"Don't be ashamed, Harry." He smiles deprecatingly. "When I first went to Hogwarts, I couldn't understand why their trees were different either. The farther up the hills you get and the colder it gets, the fewer of the trees you recognize you will see." The horses puff along for a few minutes while we ride in silence.

"Tell me about your trees, Harry."

"They have leaves," I note. "They turn red and gold during the fall. During the winter the trees are bare."

"Swell job, Harry!"

I imagine that if we had been walking side by side he would have slapped me on the back.

"Now tell me what's different about these trees here."

I observe the trees as we briskly pass them and try to ignore my grumbling stomach.

"Well, there are trees like my trees, too." He nods encouragingly. "But these are…shiny. And…thorny!"

"Those are needles."

"Really?"

"Yup. Don't ask me to remember what your trees are called." He waves a hand flippantly. "But I do know what these are called: Evergreens."

"Evergreens?"

"Because they don't drop their leaves during the winter."

"Wow!"

"There are some bushes and shrubs that have leaves, like your trees, that are thicker and shiny. They are called evergreens as well because they don't drop their leaves either.

I mull this over for a moment. "But what about roses? They drop their leaves."

He throws his head back and chuckles. "A regular scholar!"

I blush and turn away.

"Don't worry, Harry. You'll be able to learn till your heart's content in Godric's Hollow, promise."

I wonder at his phrasing for a moment. _Didn't he say that my mother had a wonderful library at the Castle? The Castle is above Godric's Hollow, isn't it?_

We stop after mid-day for our first lunch out of the saddle and spoil ourselves.

"While you were asleep the other night I nicked these from a farm."

He hands me a cold lump of bread, but to my surprise it is stuffed with cheese and meat.

"Wow!" I exclaim around my mouthful. I'm afraid, from his smile, that it comes out more like "Mwao", though.

A stream trickles merrily nearby and the sound of our horses ripping up grass on the bank is comforting.

As we sit enjoying the meager sunshine (thanks to a cloud break) the first jangling of tack we've heard, besides our own, for days pounds closer.

The single horse comes to a halt on the path nearby and we stiffen warily.

"You there!" A voice calls out. "What are you doing on the Duke's land?"

* * *

1. Is an exclamation. It's like saying "Over there!"

....So I know there are lots of readers, and even a few alerts/favorites...Am I going to get any feedback? I'd even welcome someone barging in and tearing my story apart at this point :) I want to know what you guys think and whether I'm being lame, or predictable, or cool or what?!

Monte

EDIT: Changed the village below Potter castle to Godric's Hollow. Hogsmeade is at the Capitol with Hogwarts *beats head*


	5. Chapter 5

Authors Note:

Apparently I have been mixing up reign with rein: please call me on it! And if it's that bothersome...should I go back and fix it in older chapters?

Thank you for your excellent help Darkness Approaches!

* * *

**Title: The Covenant**

**Genre: Romance/Adventure**

**Warnings: None, so far. Violence, maybe? 0.o THIS WILL BE SLASH! But nothing explicit :) Oh, and definitely NOT HP/LV mkay?**

**Rating: PG 13 (just to be safe)**

**Pairings: HP/?? SB/RL**

**Summary: In a land where the use of a wand is forbidden and Lord Voldemort rules all an orphan somehow garners the Lord's attention....and not in a good way.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, and yes I have unceremoniously...borrowed a few ideas from Sherwood Smith's Crown/Court Duel. I will not simply rewrite that story with Harry in it, so no fear!**

Sirius and I both drop to the dirt, quietly, next to our saddle bags and fish out some victuals.

Sirius calls out merrily, "We are breaking our fast, care to join us?"

A wary and disbelieving patrolman tromps over the hill to our "camp", his horse's reins firmly gripped in his tight fist. "What are you doing here?" he demands again.

Sirius sighs and places his hands face up on his thighs. "We are merely traveling on the edge of the Duke's land. We do not have any weapons, so cannot poach."

The man eyes us for a moment. "Have you any cider?" he asks slowly.

Sirius smiles broadly and fishes a flask out of his saddle bag. "Sure do!" I wonder for a moment where said flask came from, but then shake my head and forget about it.

Sirius will always be full of surprises.

To our great fortune, the young officer offers to escort us to the end of the forest. He shrugs at our surprised expressions. "I'm the youngest in the patrol. It's no great surprise that I'm being sent to the middle of nowhere. Might as well pick me up some company." He scoffs, "It's not like I'll actually come across any _real_ bandits."

He takes off his helm to reveal a shock of shoulder length red hair and lots of freckles.

"A Weasley!" Sirius exclaims.

The man smiles, an embarrassed blush creeping up his neck, "I'm Bill, the oldest." He shakes our hands. "You have an advantage on me, though."

I flick my shaggy black hair out of my eyes and grin.

"I'm Harry!"

Sirius shakes his head slowly. "It'll be safer for you if you can say, honestly, that I didn't tell you my name."

Face now grave, Bill passes the flask back. "I thought so." As he stands he seems to unfold forever, his sleek pony-tail adding manliness to his tall lanky frame. His helm settles back on his head, "Shall we go?"

There is no lack of conversation on our trip to the northern edge of the Duke's land. He tells me of all his siblings, and his mother, and battles he's been in: It's all very exciting. Even the family part, as I've never had any.

I am extremely jealous of him for other reasons, though. I can't help but covet the sword at his hip and the short dagger he shows me from his boot.

He asks us no questions about where we're going, or who we're fleeing from, or who we are.

I'm glad, since I don't know the answer to a single one of those questions.

Sunset is early tonight, so darkness is falling when Bill makes to turn back. He points ahead, "It's the Lord's land from here on out. The forest still goes a ways . . . " He coughs and looks away, "The tour is shorter if you head northwesterly."

Sirius clasps his hand and nods thankfully.

"Give my mum my regards," Bill murmurs.

When he turns to me to shake my hand he has a broad smile on his face, "Good luck my little warrior." He wheels his horse around and gallops away in a plume of dust as I stare at my hands in amazement.

"He gave me his boot-knife!" I exclaim.

Sirius claps me on the back. "You'll need it, like as not."

We ride in silence for a while, missing the young rider's company.

"Sneaky bastard," Sirius mutters.

I stare at him wide-eyed, "What?"

"Bill isn't a retainer for the Dukes!" He growls, "He's part of the personal guard at Snape's Principe!"

I frown. "But his colors . . . weren't they the Dukes'?"

Sirius glares ahead. "It's probably some elaborate plan of Snivellus' to get us to let our guard down for an ambush or something."

_Wait, Snivellus? Who's that? I though we were talking about this Snape person?_

"Would Bill have stayed with us, then?"

Sirius continues to grumble without seeming to hear me, "This means Snivellus knows where we are!" he snarls.

"But Bill's so friendly! Don't you know his family?"

"Snape is a wily bastard, I wouldn't put anything past him.

"Sirius, you're totally jumping to conclusions!" I cry out as Sirius kicks his horse into a gallop.

He never does answer.

The reins and my new knife cut into my hands as I grip the pommel desperately. My horse takes the reins and pounds up the trail after Sirius. The ride to the northern edge of the forest is . . . heart pounding. The sliver of the moon lights the path in sporadic patches. Though my eyes strain, I see nothing.

My arms soon ache from the stress of yanking on the pommel to keep my butt on the saddle. The pain in my shoulders is well worth sparing my sore backside. It feels like hours have passed when I start to hear my horse wheeze. As if in agreement, my vision gets spotty.

"Si-!" My voice cuts off from the dustiness of my throat and I cough uncontrollably for a bit. "Siri-!" I try one last time before my vision goes black and I fall to the side.

_This is going to hurt._

When I wake I feel as though I've been trampled by a horse: Which is certainly possible. I groan.

"I'm sorry, Harry." A gruff voice intones above my head. Strong hands pet my hair back and tuck me tighter under the cloak.

"Finally stop, then?" I laugh grimly, my ribs aching unmercifully.

"Did you try to get my attention before you fell off?"

"Yes."

"I thought so."

I struggle to sit up.

"Do you think you can ride?"

"No . . ." I moan, bones creaking. "But you can tie me to the saddle."

We compromise and tie the reins to the saddle, instead. So that I can focus on staying on and nothing else. The gelding is a good horse: He does well with following Sirius.

Riding is a new kind of torture, now. My hands are raw, and without bandages or gloves to protect them it's hard to grip the saddle.

"We won't go faster than a trot, promise."

My horse seems determined to walk as slowly as possible, perhaps for my sake. So Sirius humors him and lags behind with me.

"Are you that frightened, Sirius?"

"I just want to get home, Harry."

We plod the morning away through the northern edge of the forest. For once it is not raining. But though the weak sun trickles through the trees, it does not lessen the damp chill.

We stop for lunch and munch on more damp bread and dried meat when the sun is high in the sky. We don't linger on the empty trail for long, and return to riding right away. The farther we go the less kept the trail and the more meandering it becomes. Eventually it narrows to little more than a foot path and we are forced to walk our horses single file, Sirius in the front. Emerging from the forest is an experience: There are no trees or farmlands. It's wet and scrubby instead.

"We're coming onto the foot hills," Sirius comments.

"And the river?" I ask excitedly.

"Yes. We will have to cross it soon."

A thrill of fear and exhilaration runs down my spine. Partly because I am looking forwards to seeing the only large river in the country of Four. I am frightened, though, of the idea of crossing said river. It's dangerous, and runs deep.

"How?"

"There's a fjord."

He does not elaborate.

There is no set trail, now. The scrub land is not too wide, so I can see the Hills looming in the distance. We wander from deer trail to deer trail, avoiding spiny bushes, and endeavor to head towards said Hills.

Little barking animals scurry away from us. I don't recognize them. "What are those, Sirius?"

He frowns, "Those are prairie dogs." He slides his grip up on his reins. "We should find another trail, we wouldn't want to trod on their burrows."

Of course that's the exact moment my horse's hooves break through the ground. He screams and Sirius curses. "Blasted animal!" I clutch the pommel in terror while the gelding struggles to retrieve his feet and reach firm ground. He wallows for several moments, and then another horse screams in the distance.

Sirius pales.

"Harry! To the river!" He wheels behind my panicking horse and slaps his hindquarters with his reins. Both of our horses lunge forward. We pound to the river with haste although the riders behind us are not yet close enough for us to hear.

_Good. We might make it, then._

Sirius bends low on his saddle and I struggle to do the same. The horses behind us draw close enough to our tired horses that we can hear their distant hoof beats. Sirius urges the horses to go faster.

No longer do we pick our way carefully. Our horses charge forward willy-nilly through the prickly scrubs. My thin, worn pants tear and I gain new scrapes and cuts. I try sheltering my face but still I receive welts from evil bushes.

"There, Harry!" Sirius bellows and I squint forward to see the raging river. My eyesight isn't so great, so it's a little fuzzy in the distance.

We get closer and closer to the water and I soon see that the river is deep and fast. The bottom is untouchable and the bank on this side is high. Sirius' determined face does not bode well.

"Sirius!" I yell, "What are we going to do?"

"Jump!"

"What?!"

But it's too late now. Our horses have already jumped over the steep bank directly over the raging river and I'm being lifted off the saddle by the air and finally ripped off when we hit the water. The water roars around my ears and tries to drag me under, but luckily my flailing arms hit my horse and I twist my fingers in the knotted reins.

The horse and I surge to the surface and he kicks powerfully to the shore. Coughing and sputtering I am drug along with him.

"Harry!" I hear Sirius shout.

"I'm…" I spew out water and pull myself across my horse's back. "I'm with my horse!"

He whoops, "So am I!"

Soon our horses meet at the shore and clamber up the not so intimidating far bank. Sirius and I are hysterical, I think. For both of us are laughing breathlessly whilst spitting up water.

"Let's not linger here, Harry."

I nod wearily and drag myself into the saddle properly. And that is how two drowned rats evaded the King's men standing on the far bank watching us disappear into the forest in the Hills.

Stupid soldiers.

* * *

So....I know that when I'm reading chapters consecutively I find them annoying...but since this blasted story is a WIP...Would you (the readers) like little lead-ins at the beginning of each chapter telling you what happened in the last? Let me know! I'm not looking for ego cookies here...I want to know if this needs improvement, if the plot sucks, if Harry looks 2d...Anything!

Thanks, Monte


	6. Chapter 6

**Betad by Darkness Approaches**

**Title: The Covenant**

**Genre: Romance/Adventure**

**Warnings: None, so far. Violence, maybe? 0.o THIS WILL BE SLASH! But nothing explicit :) Oh, and definitely NOT HP/LV mkay?**

**Rating: PG 13 (just to be safe)**

**Pairings: HP/?? SB/RL**

**Summary: In a land where the use of a wand is forbidden and Lord Voldemort rules all an orphan somehow garners the Lord's attention....and not in a good way.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, and yes I have unceremoniously...borrowed a few ideas from Sherwood Smith's Crown/Court Duel. I will not simply rewrite that story with Harry in it, so no fear!**

**The Covenant: No one will chop down any trees for any reason. This is in protection of the colorwoods and the Magical Creature's homes.**

**The Code of War: No one shall have a weapon they cannot use with their own two hands. I.E. a bow and arrow.**

Previously: Harry and Sirius meet with a Weasley who leads them through the Duke's forest. After they are chased to the rive by the King's soldiers. Now they are on their way up into the hills to Harry's ancestral home....

The rest of our ride is rather boring and unexciting. Sirius grew up wandering this land with my father and the soldiers know it, so we soon leave them behind. We wander through the hills on deer trails and Sirius returns to telling me all sorts of stories.

"…once, while I was stampeding through the brush trying to escape from James, for he had just caught me kissing his flirt, I ran smack dab into a centaur."

"A centaur?" I exclaim, managing to stifle my shivering long enough to turn in my saddle and boggle at him

He nods. "Big huge bugger at that!" He chuckles. "I was scared out of my wits when he warned us not to run about with our eyes closed in the Hills."

I laugh, "Was my father scared too?"

"Nearly wet his breeches!"

We sleep in the forest on beds of pine needles and curl together in our damp clothes and sleep entwined. I've never slept with another, before. It's very warm, and comforting.

When we wake in the morning the horses are none too thrilled to be saddled with damp leather and I fret over the raw spots on the both of them.

"Harry," Sirius claps me on the back. "These horses will never have to carry a man again, if that's what you wish."

The horses are ill suited for many of the trails, so occasionally we walk and lead them along. I don't mind. Walking helps me keep warm in the dewy air.

"It's c-c-cold up here, Sirius!" My teeth chatter together.

"Yup! It doesn't get as warm here in the Hills as it does down there where you live."

I groan.

"You get used to it, kid."

What I _don't_ think I'll get used to are the odd noises of the forest. They scare me witless, and my nervous grip on the reins is making my horse skittish. To distract us both, I speak to Sirius.

"Sirius, what exactly are the magical beings?"

He turns to me with a grin. "There are all sorts! You know the centaurs, or of them, right?"

I nod, eager to prove myself to this man.

"Well there are magical beings and magical creatures: beings are the ones we place at human level of intelligence. Like centaurs, mermaids, and house elves."

"House elves are real?"

He nods somberly. "You won't find any up here, though. They like big fancy houses, like Malfoy's."

I frown, thinking of the palace the Duke of Malfoy likely has.

"You know what peeves him off, though?"

"Who?"

"Malfoy of course!" He stage whispers conspiratorially. "The fact that a little boy has higher rank than he, and that an ugly bastard like Snape has more land."

I laugh. "Higher rank, Sirius?"

He regards me seriously, "You're a count in your own right, Harry. But not until you're older."

"Is this Snape your Snivellus?"

He nods, "His parents are the Prince and Princess. The Heirs to the Crown."

"I'm sorry?"

He laughs. "The Heirs to the throne are the Prince and Princess. The Snapes have always been the Heirs to the Slytherin throne. Now that they are the only House left, they are technically Lord Voldemort's Heirs. I doubt that they will take the throne, though: They are old. And The Lord will not likely give up his rule easily."

"So what about your Snivellus, then?"

"Their son," he spits. "As their Heir he has the title of his mother's smaller land, Prince. Though the entire land of theirs is called Prince, now."

"Doesn't that get confusing?"

"Officially he is a Marquis, so that saves us," he comments dryly. "And I never call him by his title."

Our conversation stutters to a halt so I quickly change the subject. "The creatures, Sirius?"

"Well, there are sphinxes, griffons, hippogriffs, nifflers, nagas…there are all sorts!"

"What's a niffler?"

"Hmmmm….Like one of those truffle sniffing pigs. 'Cept this sniffs out gold." He scratches his whiskery face. "Oh, and thestrals."

"Thestrals?"

Sirius looks grim. "A dark horse with wings that you can only see if you've witnessed death. They are quite friendly, really. They just look frightening. And it's their aura, which seems of death that scares people."

I shiver. "What do they look like?"

"You don't need to worry about that, Harry."

"But…"

"No, Harry."

We walk in silence for a time and I am left to my thoughts.

_The Marquis of Prince. Sirius seems to despise him, he must be a git then. The Marquis of Prince….I wonder what it's like to have two titles like that in the same family?_

The concept is easy for me to grasp, though, for this is my land. Some families are gifted with a small parcel of land for doing a service to their kingdom. That land and title are always given to the heir of the title. Which is why Snivellus has the title of Marquis of Prince whereas his parents are of Snape and the Heirs to the kingdom.

But I know better: The Lord is never going to give up his throne. The Prince and Princess are the only Heirs left. They are the Heirs to Slytherin. But no matter how pure or how loyal they are, he will endeavor to keep his throne forever.

A snapping branch ahead of us tears me from my thoughts and causes both of us to freeze.

"Who goes there?" a boy hollers.

Sirius looks to me so I gather my courage to answer.

"Harry Potter and his guardian."

A lanky befreckled redhead bounds from the bush. "Hi the town!" he shouts. "The Count has returned!"

Answering shouts ring joyously through the forest. Sirius and I turn to each other and grin.

"Welcome to Godric's Hollow, Harry."

The town is small, and seems absolutely flooded with redheads.

"Molly!" Sirius cries as he is embraced by a buxom and plump woman. "Your Weasley clan is flourishing!"

People gather around Sirius happily and drown him in questions. I stand to the side, grinning at the spectacle, but soon I realize that I am being cast to the side and forgotten. At that realization I feel very lost and alone.

"'lo," a quiet voice says at my elbow.

I turn to the youngest redhead I've seen yet, who has a large smudge of dirt on his nose and cheek.

"You've got a smudge." I gesture at my face and he turns scarlet.

"I know," he mumbles. "Mum about took my face off trying to rub at it."

We both smile and he extends his hand. "Ron."

I shake it. "Harry."

We grin broadly.

"Harry!" Sirius yells from the throng. "Come meet your people!"

The whole town is in fits that I've finally returned. It's quite flattering, actually. I'm a small legend among them.

The Boy Who Lived, actually.

I dislike my being famous as a direct result of my parents' death, but I understand their happiness.

As darkness falls all the villagers celebrate in the square. There is a large fire made of fire sticks that people gather around merrily. A lonely musician named Hagrid (a monster of a man) plays a wooden flute, the butcher roasts meat on slender whittled branches and passes them to anyone who walks by, a man in a purple…robe passes watered down wine in small stone bowls.

I sip my portion slowly.

"Good evening, Mr. Potter." A frigid voice intones above my head. "Enjoying the celebration?"

I look up into the heavily lined face of a severe woman, her gray-streaked brown hair in a tight bun. Hurriedly swallowing my piping hot sausage I scald my tongue and answer, "Yes ma'am."

"I am Minerva McGonagal." She informs me primly. "I have been caring for your estates, such as they are, and wish to know your intentions."

"Intentions?"

"Yes, young man. Do you know anything of your station? Are you going to care for your people? Where will you get the money to pay taxes?"

This forbidding woman either makes me want to cower in my boots, or spit like a scalded cat.

"Minerva!" Sirius chastises from above my head and clasps my shoulder warmly. "You know full well that I am Harry's regent."

"But what of the future, Sirius?" she protests shrilly. "You are a fugitive! What will we do if you are arrested and we are left with a 13 year old country bumpkin?"

I look up into my godfather's face and see no warmth there, though the firelight caresses his features. His sharp and gaunt face is accentuated by harsh flickering shadows and I am suddenly reminded that this is a man that had it in him to kiss, as he was accused of doing by the Lord.

"Harry deserves a childhood. He will not be Count for many more years, if I die trying to accomplish that." His grip on my shoulder increases to a painful pressure, then a hallo is raised.

"Fire at the keep!"

The square goes quiet as we all gaze up the road to my home that's bathed in a fiery red glow. Sirius' face is strange and unfamiliar as he stares with the rest.

"Sirius," I whisper in a choked voice. "What were you doing when you left me here alone?"

"Preserving your future."


End file.
